Carpet-cleaning machine.



Patented Dec. 1, 1914.,

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THE NORRIS PETERS 60.,PHnTo-L1rHa, WASHING ION D. C

L. L. PORTER.

CARPET CLEANING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 19, 1913.

1,1 1 9, 1 1Q, Patehted Dec.1,191.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.. 5.

27'; I WWMHM wuemtoz Lincoln L. Porta THE NORRIS PETERS CO., PHOTOVLITHOH WASHING raN. D. C.

v are]; STATES PATENT OFFICE.

L ncoLu L. Pon'rnn, on OSKALQQSA, IOWA.

CARPET- CLEANING MACHINE.

To all whom it'may concern:

Be it known that I, LINCOLN L. Ponrrnu, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oskaloosa, in the county of Mahaska and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carpet-Cleaning Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in carpet cleaning machines, of that type employing an air blast for the purpose of separating the accumulated dust and dirt from after escaping from the nozzles is confined in such a way that it will have no exit exceptthrough the material being'cleaned.

The invention consists essentially in the combination and arrangement of parts whereby the carpetor material to be cleaned is suspended in an inclosure, and theaction of the compressed air on the carpet causes it to vibrate and be whipped, and in this manner the passing currents of air carry off the dust and foreign matter from the carpet.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention constructed according to the best mode I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles of the invention. I have illustrated some of the minor details and devices of simple form, and have shown the machine as manually operated In certa n partlculars,

but it will be understood that I may use motive power when desirable.

Figure 1 is a broken side elevation of a machine embodying my invention with a part shown in. section. Fig, 2 is a part sectional view of the machine of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the carpet stretching andholding devices. Fig. 4: is adetail view Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec; 1, 1914- Application filed August 19, 1913. Serial No 785 525.

of means for actuating the carpet holding and stretching devices. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a part of the machine showing the air nozzles.

In the drawings I have illustrated an exemplification of the invention to show the principles thereof, and in this connection I employ a casing 1 which provides a chamber 2- and at the upper open end of the casing I locate the. side boards 3. 3,, which are provided with rounded upper edges and of smooth surface for the passage thereover of a carpet .4.

The carpet 4" is held upon a pair of drums as 5 and 6, the former being the unwinding drum and the latter the winding drum for the carpet while it is being cleaned. The carpet& is passed over the upper open end of the chamber 2 and is wound upon the winding drum 6 by means of a lever 7 which has a pawl 8 to engage the rack wheel 9 on the drum shaft 10. The drum shaft 10 is supported upon brackets 11, and the unwinding drum 5 is supported by means of its shaft 12 in the end brackets 13. It will be noted that the casing 1 is located between the unwinding and winding drums and the carpet is passed from one drum to the other. This means of passing the carpet through the machine is illustrated as a simple device for the purpose, but it will be understood that I contemplate using other means and devices, for this purpose as reouired.

The entire upper end of the casing is closed by a presser board 14. This board extends approximately the full length of the machine, andcovers the chamber 2 from end to end. The under surface 15 of the board is rounded and convexed and the board extends down partly over thev convexed upper edges of the side boards 3 3. The presser board is supported from above by means of swivel air cylinders 16 and piston rods '17 each of which is attached at its lower end tothe board by means of strap 18. I have illustrated two of these supports for. the board, but it will, of course. be understood that as many may be used as are required, The cylinder 16 is closed at its upper end and is swiveled in a plate 19 attached to the beam 20, and the stem 17 is formed-with a piston or head 21 inside of thecylinder 16,. Thus, by means of comthrough the inlet 21, and at one side of the pipe are arranged a series of nozzles 25, each provided with a valve 26. As clearly seen in Fig. 2 each of these nozzles is pointed in a direction so as to deliver compressed air under one edge of the presser board and between said edge and the carpet which is held between the presser board and the side rail 3 of the casing. In this manner the compressed air at very high velocity is forced in between the carpet and the presser board. While the carpet is being acted on by the compressed air it is necessary that it be stretched taut and held so stretched under the presser board. For this purpose I provide a carpet stretcher located within the casing 1, which is exemplified clearly in Fig. 3, and comprises a rack bar 27 which rests upon the two pivoted arms 28 and 29, said arms being pivoted at 30, 30 at the interior of the lower end of the casing 1. At each end of therack bar is located a sliding block 31 in which is pivoted an arm 32 having at its upper free end a tooth block 33 which is adapted to engage the carpet. At its lower end the arm 32 is pivoted at 34.- in the slide block 31, and a spring 35 between the arm 32 and block 31 urges the arm to swing upward on its pivot 34:. There are two'of these arms 32 with their accessories, one at each end of the bar, and each of these arms is provided witha pivot pawl 36 which engages the teeth of the rack bar 27. It will be understood that the sliding blocks 31 may be moved bodily on the rack bar 27 after the pawl 36 has been released, and it will also be understood that the arms 32 with their blocks 33 may be moved to position to engage the carpet. After the blocks 33 are in engagement with'the carpet, the carpet may be stretched by raising the levers 28, 29 up toward a vertical position. This movement ofthe levers lifts the rack bar 27 and the sliding blocks 31 with it, and the lifting action of the rack bar 27 causes the arms 32 to swing on their pivots 34: and, as it will be remembered, the points of the block 33 are engaging the carpet, it. will readily be understood that the carpet will be stretched'taut by the two, arms 32. The

rack bar 27 is lifted by the action of the two levers 28 and 29, and these levers are lifted to a perpendicular position by means of the draw rod 37 which pivoted to each lever 28 and 29, and is connected to one end 39 to a bracket, and the other end of the bell crank lever 40 is connected by the link 11 tothe lever 7, so that as the carpet is wound upon the winding drum the carpet stretcher is simultaneously actuated.

In use, the carpet is first passed over the upper open end of the trough, and then the presser board with its smooth convex surface is lowered into position. This presser board is preferably of metal but, of course may be constructed of-any suitable material and strong enough to hold the'compressed air reservoir 23. A flexible hose is preferably attached tothe inlet 24 of the reserof a bell crank lever 38 which is pivoted at of the presser board when being placed in operative position. The presser board with its reservoir and nozzles, may be moved backward and forward as desired in order that the jets of compressed air issuing from the nozzles may strike every portion of the carpet that is being treated under the board.

The carpet is passed through the machine upside down, and as it is held taut by means of the presser board and side bars or rails 3,. 3, and by the carpet stretching device, the air at very high velocity issues from the nozzles and passes in between the ceiling board and the carpet. The air is prevented from issuing at the rear end of the machine by the contactbetween the presser board and the side board 3, and is thus confined between the presser board. and the carpet. The action of the airon the-carpet causes the carpet to shake or vibrate, and the continuous jets of air upon the carpet and through the carpet in this manner, cause the dust and extraneous matter to be blown from the carpet into the'chamber 2 from which it may be exhausted by suction. The above described condition'exists'in the machine, for the reasonthat as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the side board 3 presses the carpet 4: against the under side of the presser board 15 with sufiicient force to practically. and substantially close the space be: tween thetwo boards against the passage-of air, and the air currents are therefore compelled to pass through the carpet as the carpet passes along under the presser board.

By this method of introducing the. air and confining it with only one outlet, the'vibrat-v ing carpet is thoroughly cleaned by the direct action of the air. and the velocity of the air currents most effectively carries off the dust. By means of the lever 7 the carpetis bination'with an open casing andfa presser board, means for passing a carpet between said presserboard and the open casing, and I means for lntroducmg compressed a r bea tween said board and the carpet.

2. In a carpet cleaning machine,"the com-- bination with an open end chamber,imeans for stretching a'carpet over the chamben a presser board for holding thecarpet upon the chamber, and means for introducing I compressed air into the carpet. a

3. The'combination in a. c arpet icleanin g machinewith an open casing having round-l ed side rails,'of a presser board adapted to close said casing, means for supporting said board, above said casing, and means for introducing a cleaning fluid in the casing through the carpet.

4'. The combination with an open casing having rounded side rails, of a presser board having a convex under surface located over a said casing, and means for introducing compressed air under the board and through a Copies of this patent may. be obtained for chamber through the Z carpet held between said board and rails as described.

In a carpet cleaning machine'including an open end chamber, the combination with a presser board over the chamber having a reservoir thereon, a 'multiplicity of nozzles connected to the reservoir extending beyond the edge of the presser board and curved so as to deliver between said presser board and chamber, and means for removing the presser board from the chamber.

6. In a carpet cleaning machine, the combination with an open casing and a presser board, means for imparting a step by step LINCOLN L. PORTER.

signature Witnesses FRANK C. PORTER, C. O; S'rnRnT'r.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, washingtomnlc. 

